ELTS Writing Preparation: Academic IELTS Writing

Task 1 Preparation:
Things you should know about Academic Writing Task 1:
You are asked to describe information presented in graph/ table/ chart/ diagram.
You have 20 minutes to finish the task and you have to write at least 150 words.
If you are asked to use the information presented in the graph you must be careful not to copy it.

In Academic Writing task 1, candidates are assessed on their ability to:

Organise, present and possibly compare data.
Describe the stages of a process or procedure.
Describe an object or event or sequence of events.
Explain how something works.

The general format for writing academic writing task 1 is as follows:

Introduction + Basic/General Trends + Details Description + Conclusion/Summary
(Optional).

The IELTS Academic writing task 1 requires several vocabularies. Each of these parts has a specific format
and therefore being equipped with the necessary vocabulary will help you to write the task 1 efficiently and
will save a great deal of time. Before you go through the details of how to write Academic Writing task 1,
you must learn the necessary vocabulary and words first to write a better answer. Click here to learn the
vocabulary
Well, now you know the structure and vocabulary for the Academic Writing Task 1. Continue ahead...

Four steps should be followed to write a better Academic writing task 1:

1. What type of presentation it is and what it is asking.
2. Collecting data/information.
3. Planning for writing.
4. Representing in an organised form.
First Step: Analise.
Analise the question first .Look whether it is a diagram / table /figure / illustration / graph / figure / chart /
flow chart or a picture. Now look what the question is asking to do. For example, the question might ask to
compare, contrast, analyse, summarise or more than one thing.
Second Step: Collecting data/information.
You must collect/ understand the following data and information from the figure.
a) Time: Be sure whether the time presented in the graph/ figure are present/ past/ future or a mixture of
these three. Your writing has to be in the correct Tense according to the time presented.
b) Theme: Be sure what the figure/ diagram/ picture is trying to represent.
c) Place and Position: About what place or field the data are all about?
d) Main Point: What's the central idea of the presented graph/ diagram?
e) General Trend: Figure out the General Trend(s).
f) Effects & Result: Find out the effects and results.
g) Conclusion: Plan what you should include in the conclusion.

Example:
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph below shows the unemployment rates in the USA and Japan between March 1993 and
March 1999. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make
comparisons where relevant.

You should write at least 150 words.

First Step (worked out): Analise:

It is a line graph with 2 lines. The graph is asking to summarise the main features of the unemployment
rate.
Second Step (worked out): Collecting data/information:
Time: From March 1993 to March 1999.
Theme: Unemployment rates of USA and Japan.
Place and Position: USA and Japan.
Main Point: The unemployment rate has decreased in the USA and has increased in Japan.
General Trend: Initially unemployment rate was higher in the USA than Japan but over the period the USA
managed to reduce the rate and in case of Japan the reverse was true.
Effects & Result: Effects: unknown. Result: as General Trends.
Conclusion: Unemployment rate was higher in the USA than Japan but over the period the USA managed
to reduce the rate and in case of Japan the reverse was true.
Third Step: Essay Planning:
You should make a plan after you are done with the first 2 steps. This step involves the following orders.
a) Writing a balanced Introduction.
b) Writing a general trend
c) Detailed description of the figure and supporting the description.
d) Describing the results.
e) Writing the conclusion.
How to write a balanced introduction:
The introduction part of a writing is very important hence it reflects your skill of writing. Readers decide
whether to read further or completely avoid the whole writing after reading the introduction. So in every
writing introduction part should be very organised. In case of IELTS academic writing task 1, you should
use the following structure and vocabularies to write a balanced introduction.
What it is (table/ graph/ chart/ diagram/ picture/ flow chart) + What it does (presents data/ shows
comparison/ summarize / contrast/ give projection or prediction) + What about (in this case the
unemployment rate) + Place (in this case US and Japan) + Time (in this case 1993 to 1999) + Presentation
of X and Y axis (here X axis represents time and Y axis represent percentage of work force) + Other
relevant information.
Example: The provided line graph provides information on unemployment rates in USA and Japan from
March 1993 to March 1999. Here the bold line represents the unemployment rate of Japan and the dotted
line for the USA. In the provided line graph the X axis shows time with one-year interval and the Y axis
represents unemployment rate.
How to write a better general trend:
The general trend part should be immediately after the introduction part. It is recommended to write the
general trend parts in the same paragraph with the introduction. The general trend part should focus the
main point of the presentation and should not be too large with lots of information. However you should not
give the specific figure, time, amount or data presented in the graph, rather try to use daily life English to
make the main reader interested about the whole writing. You can use phrases like As is presented/ as is
observed / in general / in common etc. to start this part.
Example: As is observed from the graph, initially in 1993 the unemployment rate in the USA was
significantly higher than that of Japan. But over the 6 years, the USA managed to reduce this rate and the
reverse was true for Japan where unemployment rate increased in these 6 years.
How to write an attractive details description:
The Detailed description part comes after the introduction and general trend and should be written in the
second paragraph. In this part, you should describe the graph / table / chart / diagram etc. While
describing, keep in mind that, you are not expected to write down all the data provided in the question,
rather your ability to describe the presentation in general English.
The things you should follow in this part :
Use appropriate tense to describe the data.
Use transitional words like, besides, as well as, likewise, in addition, additionally, again, on the other
hand etc. to make your sentences relevant and coherent.
Try to mention the initial, highest, lowest and projection points.

Things you should avoid in this part:

Do not describe all the data and facts presented in the graph.
Don't include your own opinion, imagination or solution.
DO NOT use contractions (can not=can't, do not =don't etc, will not=won't) in your writing.

Example: As is presented in the line graph, in March 1993, United States had about 7% of their workforce
unemployed, which might not seem high unless it is compared to to the unemployment rate of Japan in the
same year, where only 2.5% workers were unemployed. However, the unemployed rate in the USA began
to decrease slowly having a fluctuation till 1996 and reached to around 5%. On the contrary, the
unemployment rate in Japan got an upward trend and doubled in 5 years. The unemployment rate of both
countries intersected in the middle of the year 1998. Afterwards, the unemployment rate in the USA
remained roughly the same (about 5%) having a similar ratio to that of Japan.

How to describe the results:

If you want to and really need to describe the result of the graph, then write it at the end of the detailed
description. However, if results-writing makes something repeated ( those that has already been
described), then you do not need to write the result apparently.
Example: The USA managed to decline their unemployment rate from 7% to almost 5% in 6 years but on
the other hand the rate has increased in Japan from only 2.5% to approximately 5%.

How to write a good and efficient conclusion:

The conclusion is an important part of the whole writing and that is why you must be careful to write a
better conclusion. The conclusion part of the Academic IELTS writing 1 is also knows as summarising. So
write down the main point/theme of the graph in short. You should never include your own point of view,
personal opinion or suggestion to solve a problem in conclusion. In some cases of Academic IELTS writing
task 1, it optional to write the conclusion, hence the data are already described and summarised before the
conclusion. However, if you need to write the conclusion part, use one of the following words to start the
sentence:
In conclusion / in short / to conclude / to sum up / in brief / in summary etc.
Example: It conclusion, the unemployment rate in the USA decreased in 6 years and the opposite scenario
was true for the Japan.
IELTS Writing Task 1 (Academic)
Practice 1:
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graphs below show the numbers of male and female workers in 1975 and 1995 in several
employment sectors of the republic of Freedonia.

Write a report for a university teacher describing the information shown.

You should write at least 150 words.
First Step- Analyse:
Two line graphs given in the question. These graphs should be described by comparing/ contrasting main
features and should be presented as a report to a University Lecturer.
Second Step- Collecting data/information:
a) Time: First graph is for 1975 and the second one is for the year 1995.
b) Theme: Comparison of men and women workers in 6 Employment sectors.
c) Place and Position: Freedonia.
d) Main Point: Comparison of men and women employees in respect to the job sectors.
e) General Trend: Initially in 1975, Men employees occupied most of the jobs in all sectors.
f) Effects & Result: The number of women employees increased significantly, especially in communication
sectors over the 20 years period.
g) Conclusion/ Summary: Conclusion should be a summary of theme, general trend, and result.
Sometimes you do not need to write the conclusion part. Keep in mind that graph writing conclusion is not
same as writing the conclusion for an essay.
Third Step- Report Planning:
A) Writing Introduction:
The provided graphs represent information about the male and female workers of Freedonia in six different
sectors in 1975 and 1995.
B) Writing General Trend:
As is observed from the two given graphs, the number of male employees was larger in all sectors of
employment than that of women but after 20 years this discrimination had plummeted, in particular, in
banking & finance sector and surprisingly more women were employed in communication sector in 1995
than their counterpart -men.
C) Writing Detailed Description:
According to the illustration, almost 600 men out of the thousand workers were employed in manufacturing
jobs in 1975 and that was almost twice than the number of women employed in the same sector. After 20
years in 1995, the number of male workers in this sector increased to around 700/thousand but the number
of women workers remained almost the same as it was in 1975. Again, male workers in banking, wholesale
& retail trade, defense, public sectors were significantly larger in number than female workers in 1975. The
highest number of workers, both the men and women, worked in public sectors in 1975. In this year in
public sectors, almost 80 per thousand were men and 650 per thousand were female, which was larger in
number than any other sectors. Job sectors like defense were mostly occupied by men whereas women
were very small in number in this sector. In the year 1975, the smallest gap between the number of male
and female workers could be observed in the communication sector. After 20 years, in 1995 the scenario
changed remarkably. In this year female went ahead of men in communication and trade (wholesale &
trade) sectors. Also the different of male and female employees in banking and finance became ignorable.
On the other hand, the number of male employees had declined in defense and the opposite is true for
women. The job condition in manufacturing sectors remained almost the same as it was 20 years earlier.
D) Describing the results:
Not necessary as it has already been described in detail description.
E) Writing the summary/ conclusion:
In summary, it can be clearly observed from the given graphs that, female participation in different job
sectors had significantly improved and in some sectors, they went ahead of men.
Tips 1: Many teachers will tell you not to write any conclusion or summary in your graph answer. Here is
what we think-
Do not write a separate conclusion or summary if you have already described the general trends clearly
in the introduction part and have already written more than 150 words.

In case you find that you are yet to write 150 words and have something to say about the overall graph,
go for the conclusion/ summary part.

Tips 2: You should use as many transitional words as appropriate to make the writing coherent. Do not
copy the sentences from the given question. You are expected to write a summary, so you should never
write down all the facts and figures presented in the graph. Never write less than 150 words.

IELTS Writing Task 1 (Academic )

Practice 2:
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shows the area of land from which grain was harvested.
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information in the graph.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.

You should write at least 150 words.

World grain harvested area, 1950 96

First Step- Analyse :

The given presentation is a line graph. Here 'X' axis represents the time and 'Y' axis represents the area in
million hectares where grain was harvested. The question is asking to summarise the main features and to
make comparisons where relevant.

Second Step- Collecting data/ information:

a) Time: Past (1950 to 1996).
b) Theme: Total land in million of hectares where grains were harvested.
c) Place and Position: All around the world.
d) Main Point: World grain harvested area.
e) General Trend: Amount of land increased from1950 to 1980 and then this amount decreased.
f) Effects & Result: Virgin land program, Doubling the price of grain, Retrenchment.
g) Conclusion: Not necessary.
Third Step- Report Planning:
A) Writing Introduction:
The given line graph shows the total grain harvested area around the world in million of hectares from 1950
to 1996 and the reasons why the amount changed. Here the 'X' axis represents time and the 'Y' axis shows
the land area in million of hectares.
B) Writing General Trend:
As is observed from the graphs, total grain harvested area increased until 1980, at which point there was a
reduction due to retrenchment.
C) Writing Detailed Description:
According to the given illustration,
D) Describing the results
Not necessary as it has already been described in detail description.
E) Writing the conclusion
Not necessary.
Tips: You should use transitional words to make the writing coherent. Do not copy the sentences from the
given question. You are expected to write a summary, so you should never write down all the facts and
figures presented in the graph. Never write less than 150 words and any report writing in Academic IELTS
task 1 which is less than 150 words, would lose points.
Familiarity with these words would be useful in all IELTS Writing test modules. Common connective
words are:

Addition: in addition, and, similarly, likewise, as well as, besides, furthermore, also, moreover, and, then,
too, not only ... but, even besides, this, that etc.
Sequence: first(ly), initially, second(ly), to begin with, then, next, earlier/later, after this/that, following
this/that, after wards etc.
Consequence: as a result, thus, so, therefore, consequently, it follows that, thereby, eventually, then, in
that case, admittedly etc.
Certainty: obviously, certainly, plainly, of course, undoubtedly etc.
Condition: if, unless, whether, provided that, for, so that, depending on, only if, providing that etc.
Definition: is refers to, means, that is, consists of etc.
Summary: in conclusion, in summary, lastly, finally, to sum up, to conclude, to recapitulate, in short etc.
Example: for instance, one example, for example, just as, in particular, such as, namely, to illustrate etc.
Reason: since, as, so, because (of), due to, owing to, the reason, why, in other words, leads to cause etc.
Time: before, since, as, until, meanwhile, at the moment, when, whenever, as soon as, just as etc.
Now You should be able to write a better IELTS Writing task 1. Follow the Sample Questions or take the
model test provided on this website.
IELTS Speaking Mock Test 1
Part 1 - Introduction
Q. Good afternoon. My name is Kristina Pollock. Could I have your name, please?
A. Good afternoon Madam. My name is Joseph Mark and my nickname is Mark.
Q. And your candidate number?
A. My candidate number is...
Q. Thank you. Now could you tell me a little about yourself and where do you live?
A. Well, I'm Joseph Mark and I live at... My father's name is... He is a Government service holder. My
mother's name is... She is basically a housewife but sometimes she works at our shop. I'm 26 and I've
finished my graduation from... University. My major was Mathematics. I've got 2 brothers and a younger
sister. We live like a very happy family and my parents take great care of us. I'm doing a part-time job at a
local school as a Mathematics teacher. I'm planning to complete my M.Sc. from any reputed University of
the UK. My future plan is to teach in a college. I spend my leisure time surfing the internet and reading
books. Sometimes I hang around with my friends on the lake shore. The place I live now is really charming
and I love to live there. It's not noisy and busy like other cities and I have got many friends there. I am
maintaining a personal blog and there I try to add a post every week. This is basically a technology and
Math related blog.
Q. What are some of the nicest things about where you live?
A. The place where I live in is a calm area and is very neat and clean. You will find it naturally beautiful and
the lakes, gardens, fountain, river, hill and the songs of birds will take your heart away. Whenever my
friends from other cities come to visit my area, they become awestricken! Our area is indeed a beautiful
place to live in. The people are very nice and friendly and you would be very pleased with their charming
behaviours if you visit there. The area is free of pollution as it is not an industrial area and the fresh air
would give a soothing feeling. The traffic on the road is good most of the time and you won't have to worry
about the public transportation as they are available around the clock. This area is famous for many
historical sites and monuments like (...say some names here...) and many tourists come to visit here every
day. The tour guides are very nice and are maintained by Government. There are many restaurants there
and you can pick one of your delicious menus from there and I am sure you will never forget the taste!
People in our area lead simple yet friendly lives and they make friends easily. The crime rate is pretty low
and as a small town, we know other members of our area.
I am sure if you visit our area once, you will simply love it.
Q. Are there any places of special interest I could visit in your home area?
A. The Gomez River and Roar Hills are two most beautiful places in our area. Thousands of tourists each
month come to visit our area and these two places are main attractions for the tourists.
Apart from that, some monuments of famous politicians, poets and renowned persons in the Family Square
is one of the main attractions and it is worth visiting. The hill hiking, swimming and fishing are three most
popular activities among tourists and I would recommend those activities to you. You will never get bored
there and if you even slightly do, simply get yourself enrolled in the government managed tour plans for a
couple of days. This would give you a whole new chance to explore hills, rivers, forests and you would find
challenges and enthralling experiences from there. Lastly, do not forget to taste our local foods and fruits.

Take the chance to visit our area and I am sure you would start recommending your friends after that.

Q. Could you describe some of them for me?

A. The Gomez River is a long river that passes through our town. The water is crystal clear and you can
see the fishes, corals and other objects inside it. The water is surprisingly warm and when you will look at
it, you will be surprised to see all the fishes there. It is like a large aquarium. The reflection of the sky gives
it a heavenly look and many people go there for picnic and fishing there. In the evening children and
parents play in the fields beside the river and you can find some newly constructed motels and restaurants
there. Swimming in this river is a popular activity among local people and tourists in the summer season.
The Roar hill is another beautiful site in our area and it got its names from the roaring echo sound it
creates. There are several hills there and they are over 300- 500 feet tall. The vista, illusionary sound of
birds, the natural beauty and fountains give it a painted picture like looks. In the evening when the sun
starts hiding behind the hills, people look at this out-of-the-world scenery simply in amazement.

Q. What would be the best way for me to get there?

A. If you have a private car with you, you can drive along the roads and reach there. From the city centre,
both of the destinations would be around 1 and half hours journey. Alternatively, you can take a public bus
or hire a small car and reach there. The rent/ticket fee of the public transportation is fixed and you do not
need to pay any extra charge.
If you enrol with the tour service provider, they will manage the plan, route and based on your preference,
you can either share a zip or can take a private car for rent. The later one is comparatively expensive.

Q. What sort of places could I stay at?

A. You can stay at a tourist motel near the hills or can rent a hotel room in the city centre. If you are visiting
your family members, then villa near the hill road would be better alternatives for you. Almost every tourist
motel provides meals facility.
Q. Should I go at any special time of year?
A. Most of the tourists come to our area during the summer season and I would recommend you to visit
during summer as well. There are lots of activities you can do during this period and you will find the beauty
of our city at that time.
[ I see, this has all been very interesting.]

Part 2 - Cue Card

Topic:
 Describe a problem that affects the environment in the area
where you live.
You should say:
what the problem is
what causes it
what people feel about the problem
and explain what you think could be done to solve it.
Click here for the answer of this Cue Card Topic

Festivals--
Q. Tell me about the most important festival in your country.
A. The most important festive in my country would be the Eid. A majority of our population are Muslims
and this is why the Eid is the most celebrated and most important festival in our country.
Q. What special food and activities are connected with this festival?
A. During the Eid Mubarak in Indonesia, people cook and eat Ketupat and Rendang, which are served with
spices and fried chicken. Among the activities, people go to Pray in the morning, visits relatives and friends,
wear new dresses and embrace each other to great people and cooks delicious foods to celebrate this day
in a special way.
Q. What do you most enjoy about it?
A. What I enjoy most about the festive is that I could see people spend sometimes with their big families
once in a year. They would pray and dine in together, and it feels great to see that. People are usually busy
at their colleges or office and during the Eid they get a long vacation and meet the people they care. I also
like the way small kids celebrate this special day. They seem to be so happy and contended and all of them
wear new dresses and that gives me immense pleasures.
Q. Do you think festivals are important for a country? Why?
A. Yes, I do believe that festivals are important because they could represent the identity of a country. And
then festivals could also attract tourists and would boost the tourism industry sector. Working class people
need vacations and the festivals are great ways to refresh the tiredness of people that they feel from the
monotonous daily routines. The important festivals also bring people together and eliminate the
classifications we have in our society.